The Norman Shield

The Book All Sigma Chi's Know Well...

The Sigma Chi Reference Manual

Sigma Chi’s reference manual, The Norman Shield is distributed to undergraduates at the beginning of pledgeship. It is also available for anyone who is interested in the Fraternity. It contains history and information about Sigma Chi and is published every two years.

Excerpt

Following is an excerpt from the opening chapter of The Norman Shield:

“The object of a college education is not to make us finished scholars, nor to complete our education. Education is a life-long process. The purpose of a college education is to awaken the importance of developing the mind–to create an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.

One of the ways this is accomplished is through interaction with professors and fellow students. As a result of this interaction, new friendships are developed, which in turn promote the sharing of new ideas and concepts. Friendships are thus an important aspect of the college experience.

We arrive at college having left most, if not all, of our high school friends behind, forcing us to begin the process of finding new friends. Joining a fraternity can ease this transition by enhancing the opportunity for those friendships to develop and grow. Membership in a fraternity is not based on the possession of a particular athletic, academic or musical skill. It is based on friendship. Since the first fraternity was established in 1776, friendship was, and still is, the foundation of the fraternity experience.

The primary purpose of Sigma Chi is to promote friendship, justice and learning. While friends can have a profound impact on your experiences in college, Sigma Chi aspires to develop brotherhood–a deeper and more enduring type of friendship–among its members.”